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Notאַלfor kings,לַמְלָכִיםLemuel,לְמוֹאֵלnotאַלfor kingsלַמְלָכִיםto drinkשְׁתוֹwine,יָיִןandוּfor rulers,לְרוֹזְנִיםwhereאֵיis intoxicating drink?שֵׁכָר
Proverbs 31:4
Study it in the app“Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine, and for rulers, where is intoxicating drink?”
With the Hebrew beneath
Proverbs 31:4, word by word
- for kingsמְלָכִיםmelachim
king
A king who rules a people.
Where else “melachim” appears- Lemuelלְמוֹאֵלlemoel
Lemuel
Lemuel: name of a king whose mother's teaching is given in Proverbs 31.
Where else “lemoel” appears- to drinkשְׁתוֹsheto
drink
Drink.
Where else “sheto” appears- wineיָיִןyayin
wine
Wine; also drunkenness.
Where else “yayin” appears- for rulersרוֹזְנִיםroznim
ruler, dignitary
Dignitary: a person of weight, an important ruler. It always appears alongside "kings."
Where else “roznim” appears- is intoxicating drinkשֵׁכָרshechar
intoxicating drink
Intoxicating drink made from fermented grain or fruit; distinct from grape wine.
Where else “shechar” appears
Translation note
This is how it is written (“where?”); the traditional reading aloud says “or”: “nor for rulers intoxicating drink.”
The context
3Do not give your vigor to women, nor your ways to those who destroy kings.
4 · This verse (above)
5lest he drink and forget what is decreed and pervert the cause of all the sons of affliction.